General Notices. 301 



122° Fahr.). On the third day, the top of the heap is to be opened to 6 in. 

 deep with a fork, and the sediment thrown on the top is to be turned over, 

 and another good drenching with the Hquid is to be applied to the heap, which 

 is again to be immediately covered up. About the seventh day, holes about 6 

 in. distance from each other are to be made with a fork, to the depth of 3 ft., 

 and another drenching is to be applied, the heap being afterwards covered up 

 again. About the ninth day, another drenching is to be applied, through new 

 and somewhat deeper holes, and the heap is to be again covered up. After 

 the lapse of from twelve to fifteen days from the making of the heap, the 

 manure will be fit to spread. The fermentation is stopped by an excessive 

 drenching, or by opening out the heap. If the materials of the heap are straw 

 only, the fermentation may be stopped at 55° of heat (I5'6° Fahr.) ; otherwise 

 it may be allowed to proceed to 75° Reaum. (200° Fahr.). (Rep. of Art., 

 March, 1838, p. 172.) 



In order to give this process a fair chance of being introduced into England, 

 M. Lozivy, one of the agents for the patentees in France, was invited to Lon- 

 don, in order to prepare a heap of materials in the JaufFret manner, as an ex- 

 emplification of Rosser's patent. He came in March, 1838, and prepared a 

 heap of the new manure on the Earl of Spencer's estate at Durnsford Lodge, 

 near Wandsworth, in Surrey, the residence of Mr. Paterson, the agent to 

 Lord Spencer. When the heap was duly fermented, and fit to spread, M. 

 Lozivy invited a number of persons to inspect it, on April 16., among whom 

 we were included. It was formed on the south-east side of a field barn, on a 

 raised platform of clay, 10 ft. or 12 ft. in diameter, and covered with a very 

 thick coating of straw. The outer covering of straw was removed, and the 

 heap turned over, in the presence of the company ; when the materials, which 

 had been chiefly straw, were found to be thoroughly rotted, black, and moist : 

 and, taken altogether, in a very fit state for using as manure. On examining 

 them closely, many small branches of heath and furze were found, the leaves 

 and the herbaceous parts of which were decomposed, and the bark of the 

 woody part partially so. On the whole, it appeared to us that every thing that 

 was proposed to be done was accomplished. It had required a much longer 

 time than usual ; because, owing to the extreme coldness of the weather, the 

 heap could not for several weeks, be brought to a sufficient temperature to 

 induce fermentation. 



The impression on our mind was, that nothing more was done by this pro- 

 cess than what may be done in any farm-yard with similar materials, moistened 

 with the drainings of the yard, and similarly heaped up and covered. All the 

 numerous ingredients in JaufFret's composition would, we believe, have no 

 more effect than clear water, without the assistance of animal matter ; and, there- 

 fore, if we were going to ferment straw, or other vegetable matters, without the 

 aid of a farm-yard, we should collect the dung and urine of all sorts of animals, 

 and, simply throwing them into a tank or cask of water, allow them to ferment 

 there; and, as soon as the fermentation took place, we would water the heap of 

 materials, and cover it up. Of course, it would be of no use to attempt this 

 except in mild weather ; for even urine will not ferment in winter. We con- 

 sider the lime, the gypsum, the sal ammoniac, the soot, the wood-ashes, the 

 sea salt and the refined saltpetre, as likely to have no effect whatever in 

 aiding the fermentation, though they would add to the value of the heap 

 as manure. 



All the good, therefore, which we consider may be drawn from a know- 

 ledge of Jauffret's process in England, by gardeners or farmers, is the con-, 

 firraation of what they already know, though sometimes, perhaps, neglect 

 to put in practice; viz. that the fermentation of litter may be greatly pro- 

 moted by watering it with the liquid which drains away from it, and by 

 covering it closely with thatch, straw, mats, turfs, faggots, branches, or some 

 other material which will exclude rain and drought. Farther, that the urine 

 of horses, and the urine and faecal matters of the human species, promote 

 fermentation in vegetable matters much more powerfully than those of cows, 



